Who You Love
by sequoyagirl
Summary: Nick and Jess ponder their relationship after a fight.
1. Chapter 1

**OK - I haven't written fiction in a LONG time, but yesterday Mayalala kind of pressed me on the Writer's Loft forum. I started a psychological evaluation of Nick (I'm a clinical psychologist IRL) but around 10 pm last night this one just kind of took me over. I actually worked on it between patients today but don't tell my boss. The idea was that it would be a three-part - one from Nick's perspective, one from Jess', and one back and forth. It is based on the challenge for belneigh498. I am totally and completely freaking out about this and thought I would upload it before I chicken out. If it sucks, I apologize - it really has been awhile... The song is "Who you love" by John Mayer w/Katy Perry. I heard it in the car yesterday and was really taken at how it fit Ness.**

* * *

He sat in his beat up red Honda, the rain falling steadily as the windshield wipers (that were probably the car's original ones) scraped across the wet glass in random intervals. The weather only added to his bad mood, which had been getting progressively worse throughout the day. The fight had been a doozy, and totally his fault if he was being honest with himself…

* * *

He had gone to Jess' school to drop off her latest paper mâché creation designed to teach middle school kids about geography (or geology or something). After checking her classroom, and the auditorium, he finally tracked her down in the teacher's lounge where she had been animatedly discussing _Moby Dick_ with a guy who looked like he was ripped from an Abercrombie catalog. "Fitch" was listening with rapt attention as Jess talked about the use of metaphor and allusion. She probably wouldn't have even noticed Nick was there but he was unable to stop the chuckle that slipped from his mouth when she said the word "dick." When she turned and saw who it was, her face lit up and those blue eyes sparkled like Christmas lights. She turned and raced to the door, throwing her arms around him in a hug, which he tried to return but was stymied by the giant paper thing. Nick could see the stranger's eyes on him and saw the superior smirk begin to appear on the man's perfect face. He knew exactly what the guy was thinking - "This loser is the boyfriend? This won't be hard at all..."

Fitch the douche cleared his throat loudly, and called out "And who is your visitor, Jessica?" Nick stiffened immediately at the use of her full name – no one else should be allowed to use it but him (and maybe her parents). Jess turned and linked her arm with Nick, pulling him over to the sofa which had seen better days and announced "Bryan, this is Nick, my boyfriend. Nick, this is Bryan Reardon – he teaches English and Social Studies. He just moved here from Eugene. We were just bonding over missing Oregon - he just started teaching Moby Dick." Fitch/Bryan held out his hand and eyed Nick from head to toe, obviously less than impressed by what he found - "Nice to meet you – your job must be pretty flexible to allow you to leave during the middle of the day." The tone was playful but the implication was clear: Nick's jaw tightened and he grasped the douche's hand in a firm grip just shy of a vice. Jess glanced at Fitch and chimed in – "Nick is a bartender – most of his shifts are in the afternoons and evenings." Her head swiveled to Nick and said "You worked late last night – you shouldn't have had to get up so early to bring this in. I asked Winston because it was his day off – you needed your sleep." Her blue eyes were kind but held a hint of concern. Nick dropped Fitch's hand and shrugged "I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. It's no big deal." She glanced quickly at the clock, and sighed "My break is almost over – thank you so much for bringing this in for me. I was such a spaz this morning – Schmidt took all the hot water and I burned the toast I made for breakfast." She was leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek when Fitch stopped her – "Jessica, don't forget practice this afternoon. We don't want to disappoint those budding thespians." Jess turned and gave him a smile – "I won't Bryan. I'm so glad to be working with kids again. Thanks for suggesting me as co-director of the play. I really appreciate it." The bell rang and Jess' eyes flew wide – "I'm going to be late for class. Thanks again, Nick – I'll come by the bar after practice is over." She winked and ran out the door, Fitch hot on her heels. Nick stood for a moment, his hands making fists at his side.

The rest of the day, he stewed about the interaction with Jess and the other man. She hadn't done anything to cause concern, really, but something about the situation just bothered him. And the fact that she would be spending afternoons with the guy, who would no doubt be undermining him and reminding Jess of how much better she could do… He trudged into work at 4 pm, avoiding Shane who was in the back office, and glancing briefly at Sid, camped out at his favorite seat nursing a glass of what looked like whiskey. He began his prep work for happy hour, cutting slices of limes, lemons and oranges, and seething about the douche. Jess probably wasn't even aware that the guy was into her, which somehow made it even worse. She was so trusting and open – so unlike him. He hated people until given a reason to like them, and she liked people even if given a reason not to.

As the bar started to pick up, time passed quickly, and around 6:30, he glanced up and saw Jess making her way from the door to the bar. His spirits lifted for a moment, until he saw the tall form of Fitch following behind her, his eyes focused firmly on her ass. She glanced at Nick and smiled, leaning over the bar to give him a quick peck on the lips. Nick's stony face was evident and Jess called out over the din of patrons "We had a rough first rehearsal and Bryan suggested a drink to unwind, so I thought we'd come here." She looked at Fitch, whose gaze had finally left her body and settled on her face – "What would you like? Nick's a great bartender. He can make ANYthing!" She shot Nick a dazzling smile, and when he didn't return it, the light in her eyes dimmed just slightly, but enough for him to notice. Fitch sat in the open bar seat and ordered a Vodka rocks. Nick grabbed a wine glass and poured Jess a glass of Riesling – studiously avoiding pink wine. He poured Fitch's vodka and slid the glass across the bar without speaking, then shifted to a group of female 20-somethings who had just come up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jess' confusion, and a flash of guilt came up, but he quickly pushed it down and focused on making fruity cocktails for the girls, who giggled and smiled. Fitch leaned over to Jess and Nick was able to make out "…rather go sit at a booth?" Jess shook her head and replied "…bathroom" with some excuse about a small bladder. He watched her head to the restrooms and noticed Fitch was signaling for a second drink. Face impassive, he walked to the side of the bar where the douche was sitting and grabbed the empty glass. As he was turning to grab the Vodka, Fitch asked "what's your problem, guy?" Nick turned and caught the other man's eyes, reached down to grab the Vodka without looking, poured two fingers in the glass, and replied "Your eyes on my girlfriend's ass are my problem." He banged the glass down on the bar and growled "Keep your eyes, and hands, to yourself." Fitch smirked - "It's hard not to look – she's quite a beauty." He took a long pull of his drink and appraised Nick thoughtfully "Though I don't quite know what the attraction to you is, but I guess all girls have to go slumming before they wise up."

Nick's jaw clenched to the point of pain, and he noticed Jess leaving the restroom, so he shifted from behind the bar and met her in the hallway, leaving behind Fitch and a large group of thirsty customers. He pulled Jess to the side and snarled "Why did you come here with that guy?" Jess glanced briefly at Bryan, who was sitting at the bar, looking over at them, and whispered "What is wrong with you? You've been acting strange since this morning. Bryan has a lot of pull with the principal – you know I'm trying to get a permanent position there. He asked if I wanted to go have a drink and I didn't want to say no, so I brought him here. I figured this way I could still see you." Nick rolled his eyes at Jess' naiveté – "A guy who knows you have a boyfriend, who literally JUST MET your boyfriend, asks you out and you didn't want to say no?!" She looked at him, exasperated – "I didn't want to piss him off. I need allies at that school, Nick. I like that job." Nick's fists clenched by his side and he began to pace slightly in the hallway – "Jess, all that guy wants to do is get in your pants and your letting him think he has an open invitation. No guy brings up _Moby Dick_ with a girl unless he's trying to get her to see his." Jess reeled back as if struck and her mouth dropped open in surprise, but he continued "And I'm sure he's been saying wonderful things about me all day long. Subtle comments about my job or the way I dress. And he's from Oregon, too?! He's a real catch – you should just go home with him instead of your pathetic bartender boyfriend. After all, you wouldn't want to piss him off." Nick hadn't realized how loud he had gotten until he stopped and saw the heads that were turned in their direction. Shane had come out of her office, and was behind the bar, trying to get through the backlog of customers and shot him a deadly glare that said "if you value your job at all, you will get your ass back to this bar." He glanced back at Jess who was blushing with embarrassment and headed back to the bar – when he looked back, he saw Jess leaving Clyde's… with Fitch right behind her.

* * *

Now, after a hellacious shift and a reaming from Shane about his "commitment" to his work, Nick sat in his old, beat-up Honda, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Jess hadn't done anything wrong, really. She was trying to fit in with her coworkers, and, being Jess, she couldn't just come out and tell the guy to beat it, so she tried to make everyone happy. He had totally blown it, and she was upset when she left – no doubt Fitch the douche would make sure to "comfort her." Their whole relationship was destined to end up in flames – it was just a matter of time. If he was smart, he would end it now, before he got in any deeper. The problem was, he didn't think he could get any deeper…

Over the din of the wiper blades and rain, he heard a song start on the radio – he thought he recognized the guy's voice and didn't particularly like him, and was about to turn the dial to off when the first plaintive lines caught him.

_My girl, she ain't the one that I saw coming  
And sometimes I don't know which way to go  
And I tried to run before  
But I'm not running anymore  
Cause I've fought against it hard enough to know_

That you love, who you love  
Who you love  
You love, who you love  
Who you love  
You love, who you love  
Who you love

Oh, you can't make yourself stop dreaming  
Who you're dreaming of  
If it's who you love  
Then it's who you love

His chest caught as he pondered the implications of the words. "Not the one I saw coming" – never in a million years did he see Jess coming. He wasn't exactly psyched to be 30 and living with two guys, but in truth, he always kind of expected that he would end up alone. Jess was some kind of fairytale princess that fell into his life and apartment – she was Snow White and he was Grumpy. He had watched as she dated a series of guys, tried to hide his growing feelings for her, fight the way he felt but eventually just couldn't kid himself anymore. That kiss after True American was the first time in his life that he actually went after something he wanted – really wanted. And since they uncalled it, he had been happier and more terrified than ever before in his life. And as the realization hit him, he was rocked back in his seat: He was in love with Jess – crazy, stupid in love with her. He couldn't stop it if he tried.

He didn't want to run from it anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

She sat on her bed in the dark, watching the rain fall heavy on the windows of her bedroom, a cup of lukewarm tea on her nightstand. Ordinarily, she loved nights like this – a warm, cozy pair of pajamas, a cup of tea, and the relaxing patter of the rain as it washed away the troubles of the day. But tonight, she couldn't seem to shake the knot that had settled in her stomach ever since Nick had come by the school.

* * *

The morning started at a hectic pace – Nick had gotten in late from work and had collapsed on the bed, exhausted from a double shift on his feet. Jess always tried to wake up before the alarm so she could try and slip out of bed without disturbing him; he needed the sleep so much. She got to the bathroom only to notice the thick curtain of steam, indicating that Schmidt had already been there and gone. After a freezing cold shower, she got dressed in a cheery yellow sundress and made her way into the kitchen. Though she was not particularly hungry, she popped some bread into the toaster, knowing her break wasn't until around 10. As she was checking over her emails, an acrid scent caught her attention and she saw the toast was now burned beyond recognition. She was debating whether to grab some more bread when she noticed the time and realized she was running late.

Once she arrived at school, Jess realized that she had left the paper mache model of the Earth – she had spent most of the previous afternoon using different colors of paper to show her class about the different layers and had been quite proud of it, even joking to Schmidt that she was "really deep" and "had many layers." Jess was undeterred by Schmidt's less than enthusiastic response and had been excited about the prospect of teaching the lesson to her class the next day. She knew there was not enough time to go back home to get it before her first class, and didn't want to bother Nick, so she called Winston and asked him to bring it, promising to make him carrot cupcakes for his trouble.

The first two classes went by quickly, and finally it was time for her break. Not a moment too soon – her stomach was growling so loudly that Miguel offered her his cigarettes again. She headed into the teacher's lounge hoping to find a pastry or bagel to tide her over until lunch, and was pleased to find the last Krispy Kreme donut in a box that had apparently been brought in to celebrate another teacher's birthday. As she finished wiping the last crumbs from her hands, she heard the door open and turned to see who it was – Bryan Reardon entered the room and made his way over to her on the couch. Peg had warned her that the guy was a bit of a flirt, but Jess thought he was basically harmless. He was fairly tight with Dr. Foster, the principal, and Jess thought that maybe he could put in a good word for her when it came time to decide about permanent positions. Plus, he had asked her to be co-director of the school play a few weeks ago, after hearing that she had helped out with Paul Genzlinger's "madrigals." She figured she could deal with a few glances at her boobs for the chance to secure a regular position at Coolidge.

Bryan came and sat on the arm of the couch; Jess silently congratulated herself on wearing her cardigan totally buttoned. He looked down and gave her a little smile, before saying "So I hear you are a fellow Oregonian?" Jess' eyes lit up – "You're from Oregon?! Where?" "Eugene, actually. I moved about a year ago – what about you?" She told him she was from had grown up in Portland and had been living in LA since leaving college.

The conversation evolved into college majors and eventually settled on current class projects. He mentioned that he was starting _Moby Dick_ in his advanced class, and she recounted the excitement and frustration of writing a term paper on Melville's use of metaphor. She was mentioning how much allusion was in the novel when she heard a soft, barely perceptible chuckle after the word "dick." Jess turned and saw Nick standing in the doorway, holding her model of the Earth and looking uncomfortable. She smiled and ran to him, giving him a big hug which he couldn't really return but seemed to enjoy.

She heard Bryan clear his throat – "And who is your visitor, Jessica?" She felt Nick tense up at the question, and linked her arm in his, taking him over to the couch where Bryan was sitting. "Bryan, this is Nick, my boyfriend. Nick, this is Bryan Reardon – he teaches English and Social Studies. He just moved here from Eugene. We were just bonding over missing Oregon – he just started teaching _Moby Dick_." Bryan made a comment about Nick being out of work and she could tell that Nick was less than pleased. She saw Nick take Bryan's hand and a slight wince came across the other teacher's face. Trying to take some of the heat off Nick, she told Bryan about his job, and then refocused on Nick, hoping he would relax a little. "You worked late last night – you shouldn't have had to get up so early to bring this in. I asked Winston because it was his day off – you needed your sleep." She hoped that Winston hadn't pawned the chore off to Nick; if so, they would definitely be having words this evening. Nick shrugged and downplayed his gesture, as usual. It was a source of sadness for her that he would readily admit his failings but hardly ever acknowledge the sweet, thoughtful things he did. She leaned over to give him a kiss but was interrupted by Bryan, reminding her about practice for the play that afternoon. Jess really did appreciate being able to work with the kids that way – music and performance had been such an important part of her life when she was that age, and she loved seeing the excitement the tweens brought to the stage. She was thanking Bryan when the bell rang, signaling that classes were changing. "I'm going to be late for class. Thanks again, Nick – I'll come by the bar after practice is over." She shot him a flirty wink, but noticed he didn't respond as he normally would (eye roll followed by blush and a half smile). As she walked back to her classroom, she felt a pit in her stomach, but didn't know why – she tried to shrug it off but it remained for the rest of the day.

Practice for the school play was exhausting – dealing with pre-teen divas who thought they were the next Judy Garland, hyperactive boys who enjoyed making farting noises whenever someone spoke, and a group of juvenile delinquents who had been given the choice between suspension and "volunteering" for the play made Jess wonder why she had thought it would be a good idea. She was ready for a glass of wine (or three) and some time with her favorite grumpy bartender when Bryan came up and helped her with the jacket she was trying to put on – "Well, I don't know about you, but I could sure use a drink - those kids were awful! What do you say? I know a great place down the street from my apartment?" Jess hesitated – although she really wasn't interested in getting a drink with Bryan, she was hoping to keep a semi-cordial relationship with him. The guy was friends with Foster, and she really wanted to keep this job. "A drink sounds great, but I promised Nick I would come by his bar – you're welcome to join." A shadow passed over Bryan's face, but was quickly gone – "Sounds great! I guess any bar will do."

Jess made her way to Clyde's with Bryan following her in his car. She headed inside, anxious to see Nick as she still hadn't shaken the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her something was wrong. She saw him behind the bar, towel slung over his shoulder, shirtsleeves rolled up so his forearms were showing, and couldn't help the shiver of attraction that went through her. He saw her and started to smile but then looked past her and the smile faded. She reached the bar, and pulled herself over it to kiss him, wishing she knew what was wrong. "We had a rough first rehearsal and Bryan suggested a drink to unwind, so I thought we'd come here." She turned to Bryan "What would you like? Nick's a great bartender – he can make ANYthing!" She turned to give Nick a smile but he remained emotionless. 'What is going on with him,' she thought – 'He's been moody since this morning. Did I forget something?'

Bryan ordered and Jess saw Nick grab a glass and deliberately pass over an open bottle of Rosé to pour her a glass of white wine. He placed the wine in front of her and then Bryan's drink, never speaking to her or even making eye contact. Her brow furrowed and she began to wonder if she had done or said something to make Nick mad; he may 'idle' at grumpy, but he usually would look at her even when he was busy or in a bad mood. Bryan chattered beside her about the play rehearsal and strategies for getting the kids to behave, but all she could focus on was Nick, his back to her now, getting drinks for a group of young women who were obviously flirting with him. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she mentally tried to go back over the past few days and figure out what she must have done to make Nick so upset. Bryan noticed her preoccupation and asked if she wanted to go sit at a booth. She shook her head, and made an excuse to head to the bathroom. The tears were becoming more noticeable and she didn't want to have to explain them to Bryan.

After splashing some cold water on her face and trying to fix the trails of mascara that had started to show, Jess mentally steeled herself for seeing Nick again. She wished she could just talk to him and figure out what was wrong, but knew he was working and didn't want to distract him. As she left the bathroom, she saw him heading towards her, a grim, determined look on his face. He pulled her to the side of the hallway, angry – "Why did you come here with that guy?" She glanced quickly to insure that Bryan couldn't see or hear them, then dropped her voice and responded "What is wrong with you? You've been acting strange since this morning. Bryan has a lot of pull with the principal – you know I'm trying to get a permanent position there. He asked if I wanted to go have a drink, and I didn't want to say no, so I brought him here. I figured this way I could still see you." She reached for his arm to soothe him, but he rolled his eyes and pulled away. "A guy who knows you have a boyfriend, who literally JUST MET your boyfriend, asks you out and you didn't want to say no?!" Nick was yelling now and Jess was getting upset "I didn't want to piss him off. I need allies at that school, Nick. I like that job." He kept going, the tension rolling off him in waves – "Jess, all that guy wants to do is get in your pants and you're letting him think he has an open invitation. No guy brings up _Moby Dick_ with a girl unless he's trying to get her to see his." Jess sucked in a breath and thought 'Is THAT what this is about? He's jealous?' As Nick continued to rant about Bryan, Jess tried to catch up but was absolutely floored by how upset he was getting. He made a final comment about how she should just be with Bryan rather than him, calling himself a pathetic bartender. Everything got very quiet, and she realized most of the bar patrons were watching them, Bryan included. Nick turned and stormed back behind the bar, and she turned to the door, tears of embarrassment and sadness running down her face.

As she walked quickly towards her car, she heard Bryan calling her name and running behind her. He asked if she was alright and wanted a ride home, and she shook her head, still not wanting to look at him. He sighed, and then said "Look, it's none of my business, but what do you see in that guy? You're a beautiful, smart woman – you could do a hell of a lot better than a grungy bartender who treats you like crap." He placed a hand on her waist to pull her closer, and she wasn't sure if it was to attempt to provide a comforting hug or to try to kiss her, but she immediately put her hands on his chest and pushed away. "Bryan, I really appreciate that you are allowing me to work with you on the school play, and I hope we can have a cordial relationship as coworkers, but my relationship with Nick is really none of your business. He is much more than just a grungy bartender, and despite our argument tonight, he is one of the sweetest, kindest men I have ever known. He's not just my boyfriend, he's my best friend." She turned to get in her car and said "And as your coworker, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop staring at my chest."

* * *

Now home, Jess sat on her bed and watched the rain fall, the forgotten tea an effort to soothe her worried mind. She thought about what had happened at the school and later at the bar – Nick was obviously jealous and under the impression that Bryan had it out for him. It pained her to admit that he wasn't wrong; Bryan had made a few subtle comments over the course of the day about "the clothes making the man" and "work that means something more than a paycheck." She had ignored them, but it was clear that Nick either didn't know or didn't trust that she didn't care what his job was or how he dressed; that he thought she was just biding her time until someone better came along. She always knew their relationship was an uphill battle with a lot of barriers, she just didn't realize that their biggest barrier was Nick's own view of himself.

In an effort to silence the doubts and what ifs inside her mind, she switched on the old radio beside her bed – the same one Schmidt had scoffed at when he came in and saw it several weeks back ("A radio, Jess? Is this 1953 - are you going to start sending telegrams, too?") She heard the last bit of chorus and then a new verse began.

_My boy, he ain't the one that I saw coming  
And some have said his heart's too hot to hold  
And it takes a little time  
But you should see him when he shines  
Cause you never wanna let that feeling go_

When you love, who you love  
Who you love  
You love, who you love  
Who you love  
Yeah, you love, who you love  
Who you love

Oh, you can't make yourself stop dreaming  
Who you're dreaming of  
If it's who you love  
Then it's who you love

Jess smiled softly when she heard the line "And it takes a little time, but you should see him when he shines." She thought back to all the times that Nick had shined – all the things he had done for her, starting with leaving a party and singing "_The Time of My Life_" at a restaurant to make her feel better after knowing her for less than a week. The chicken dance at the wedding, helping her get her stuff back from Spencer, getting strangers to turn on their Christmas lights at 2 am, helping her grieve the loss of her job, being her "boyfriend without the rewards," water massaging her when she was on her period, reassuring her that she would be a mother someday, saving her from a student who turned out not to be a psychotic killer – and all before they were more than friends, although if she was really honest, they had always been more than friends. Jess remembered something Cece used to say about men – "don't listen to what they say, Jess, listen to what they do." And it was true; words could lie, people could lie – Spencer talked a good game but in the end he cheated. Nick was never the guy who was super open about his feelings, but his actions spoke volumes. He was slow to warm up, but when he cared about you, you felt it – like strong roots holding you, anchoring you to the earth. She adored him – her grumpy, frumpy, scraggly bartender; not in spite of those things, because of them. She realized she needed to tell him – she needed him to know: she loved him.


	3. Chapter 3

He stood outside her room; his clothes were dripping wet and sticking to him uncomfortably as he had had to walk from his "parking spot" under the overpass to the apartment and gotten soaked. The loft was silent - just the continued sound of the rain as it fell on the windows. He saw that her door was closed – he knew she was home as he had driven by her parking spot and had seen the cats taking shelter under the car, beside her tires. He had breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't gone home with the douchebag. His heart pounded in his chest as he stood, hand extended, ready to open the door and face whatever would be waiting for him. As he moved to turn the knob, the door suddenly opened and there she stood, looking tiny and fragile in her pajamas.

She had heard the front door open and close, and as Winston and Schmidt were already in for the night, she knew it was him. She could hear the floor creak outside her bedroom and waited for him to enter, but seconds turned into minutes, and she wondered what could be keeping him. She crossed to the door and pulled it open, noting his surprise and extended hand. She stared at him for a moment, then pulled back and gestured for him to enter, silently closing the door as he did.

He stood by the side of the bed, not wanting to sit as he didn't want his clothes to soak through her nice sheets. He began unbuttoning his button-down, pulling it off and draping it on a chair by the desk. She reached down and grabbed a towel from the floor and handed it to him, and he began to dry his hair and upper body, while toeing out of his shoes; he unbuckled his jeans and they fell wetly to the floor. Now clad only in his undershirt and boxers, he sat on the chair and looked up at her, standing against the bed, looking at the rain. He could see the circles under her eyes, and felt a wave of self-loathing that he had been the one to put them there. He looked down and spoke in a voice that was shaky and tired.

"I am so sorry, Jess." She heard the words come out and shifted her gaze to him, sitting hunched over on her chair, elbows on his knees, hands on his head. She knelt on the floor by his feet and peered up at him, putting her hands on his and guiding his gaze to hers. "I'm sorry too, Nick – I didn't realize how upset you were about Bryan." He grasped her hands and pulled them down on his lap, his gaze casting down once again. "It was all my fault – I saw that guy and it was obvious he was looking down on me from the beginning. Guys like that – great looking, and educated, smart and successful – they are the kind of guy you deserve, Jess. I mean, not THAT guy, cause he was a total douche who kept checking out your ass…".

She put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her – "I don't want any other guy, Nick. And I sure as hell don't want Bryan – he will flirt with anything in a skirt. I want you." Her eyes were crystal clear as she said it and he knew that she meant it. She felt him swallow hard, and he continued "I just love you so much, Jess. I dreamed about being with you for so long and the reality is so much better than I ever thought it would be. It scares the shit out of me to think that one day, you're going to go looking for someone better. And I want you to have the best." Her heart began to beat quicker; they had never actually said the "l-word" before. It had been intimated but never spoken outright, and she began to tear up. "Nick, I don't need to look for someone better – I HAVE the best. I love you SO much. And I'm not going anywhere, Mister." She held his gaze and leaned over, placing a soft, slow kiss on his lips. He pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her on to his lap. They sat, kissing gently and sweetly, until a clap of thunder jarred them apart. Jess stood up and pulled Nick to his feet, shifting him over to the bed. They knew there would be more talks tomorrow, and other arguments and fights in the future. But they also knew that you love who you love…and they loved each other.

* * *

_Oh, you love, who you love  
Who you love  
You love, who you love  
Who you love  
You love, who you love  
Who you love_

Oh, you can't make yourself stop dreaming  
Who you're dreaming of  
If it's who you love  
Then it's who you love

It's who you love  
Who you love  
Who you love  
Who you love  
You're the one I love


	4. Chapter 4

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, favorited, and PM'd me about this story. I was really nervous about it as it had been such a long time since I wrote fiction, and I forgot how fun (and scary) it can be. I sincerely appreciate all the suggestions and encouragement.


End file.
